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PHILADELPHIA – Police said a Pennsylvania man who was ejected from Saturday’s Philadelphia Eagles game assaulted a police horse after leaving the stadium. Taylor Hendricks, 22, was removed from Lincoln Financial Field before the start of the Eagles’ NFL playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons by stadium personnel who said he arrived intoxicated and was unable to produce a ticket.

“After the male was ejected he walked over to a mounted officer and began punching the horse in the face, neck and shoulder area,” the Philadelphia Police Department said in a statement to CBS News. The department said the officer who was riding the horse was also struck in the legs during the incident.

With or without Carson Wentz, the Eagles have sealed up a first-round bye.

Sunday’s 34-29 win over the Giants guaranteed that Philadelphia (12-2) will watch the wild-card round from home while keeping pace for the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.

Minnesota’s 34-7 romp over the Bengals prevented Philadelphia from sealing up the top spot, but the Eagles control their destiny over the Vikings (11-3) with games remaining against the Raiders and Cowboys.

Here’s what we learned from Philly’s victory over the G-Men:

1. The Giants (2-12) had a chance to win the game on fourth-and-goal from Philly’s 11-yard line with 48 ticks on the clock. It was not to be, though, as Eli Manning’s pass sailed over the head of rookie tight end Evan Engram. Another ugly result for a Giants team that dialed up its finest performance on offense all year, piling up more points than in any game over the past two seasons under fired coach Ben McAdoo. Manning threw for a career-high 252 yards in the first half and finished with 434 yards on the day, his most in two years. Early scoring drives of 75, 75 and 80 yards were highlighted by a 67-yard catch-and-run to pay dirt by Sterling Shepard (11/139/1), who made a huge impact in the passing game along with wideout Tavarres King (2/70/1) and Engram (8/87). Eli tossed a bad pick before the half that led to an Eagles score, but would arguably have earned the win if kicker Aldrick Rosas didn’t have a field and an extra point blocked.

2. Nick Foles wasn’t the reason Philly’s defense doubled as an open barn door for much of the showdown. In his first start, the experienced Wentz understudy finished 24-of-38 passing for 237 yards, wiping away a 20-7 deficit and throwing for four scoring strikes, his most since a wild, seven-touchdown outing against the Raiders in 2013. Foles came out winging the ball, going four of four on Philly’s opening touchdown drive and showing chemistry with Alshon Jeffery (4/49/1) and Nelson Agholor (7/59/1). The Eagles were helped by a pair of killer Giants mistakes — Eli’s pick and a blocked punt — that triggered two quick touchdowns and a 21-20 lead before the break. The turnovers helped, but Foles played a clean game from start to finish.

3. What did we learn about Philly’s long-term chances in the playoffs, minus Wentz? I saw a coaching staff that refused to play around Foles, allowing him to throw the ball and gain comfort with his wideouts against a division opponent. You can’t duplicate what Wentz does pre-snap, his remarkable footwork, the eyes in the back of his head or his knack for dialing up big-time throws that rip the heart out of opponents. Foles, though, committed no turnovers and generated six scoring drives. What more can you ask from a No. 2? If the defense can hold up its side of the bargain, Philly remains a genuine Super Bowl threat in the NFC.

Benjamin remains day to day
The Bills did not bring WR Kelvin Benjamin on their road trip to Kansas City this past weekend. His knee injury suffered the week prior in Los Angeles kept him out of practice all last week, and ultimately Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.

Head coach Sean McDermott however, said his receiver’s status is unchanged as he works to return to the lineup.

“He’s working hard and he’s going to be day to day as we move forward this week and we’ll see how the week unfolds,” said McDermott of Benjamin.

When asked if the report over the weekend that Benjamin had suffered a torn meniscus and would miss multiple weeks was true, McDermott said it was not. But the Bills head coach misunderstood the question thinking the report was about a torn ligament.

McDermott later confirmed that Benjamin does indeed have a torn meniscus, but his day-to-day status is unchanged.

Defense trending up
Buffalo’s defense had an encouraging rebound performance against the Chiefs on Sunday following a three-game stretch that set a couple of team records that no defense wants to have.

“You start with the run defense,” said McDermott. “Mindset, number one, then the run defense and gap integrity, technique, good assignment in being one-eleventh of the defense. That’s really where it starts. That’s what I’ve told you when you’ve asked me about the problems with the run defense. That’s really where it started up front.

“The guys have put in a lot of hard work. Leslie Frazier and his staff upstairs did a phenomenal job implementing a plan and the players have worked hard the last three weeks.”

The Bills held the Chiefs to the second-lowest total of net yards by an opponent this season. Only the Jets in Week 1 accumulated less total yardage than Kansas City’s 236 yards Sunday. But McDermott saw this kind of performance coming after carefully examining the game tape from the game against the Chargers.

“There were signs a week ago that it was getting better. Statistically it probably wasn’t there, but when you drill down watching the tape it had gotten better last week. This past Sunday it took another step. Are we there yet? No. Still a lot of work to do.”

Punt coverage unit dominating
Buffalo’s punt coverage unit had another strong day Sunday, against one of the elite returners in the game in Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs return man had two returns for zero yards. The lack of production by Hill helped move Buffalo’s punt coverage unit up to third in the league, its highest ranking so far this season.

“I thought they did a good job,” said McDermott. “I thought coach Crossman had a good plan with the coverage units. Colton (Schmidt) punted extremely well. That was key with that type of returner back there. Then the offense got us some favorable field position too, which enabled them to pin them deep. That helped the defense also. Really, I think what we’re talking about here is good complementary football amongst all three phases of the team. And a good plan special teams-wise as well. So well done.”

Schmidt also had four of his seven punts downed inside the 20-yard line with no touchbacks on the day.

The Detroit Lions narrowly avoided losing a trap game against the NFL’s worst team Sunday before they mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Cleveland Browns.

Then they did something even more impressive and tried to spin a narrative about how great the 0-9 Browns are. Remember, the Browns’ home is a place nicknamed “The Factory of Sadness.”

The Lions climbed a few spots in the playoff hunt. But the only national buzz they generated Monday came from Glover Quin’s statement that the Browns probably have better athletes than “25 out of the 32 teams in the league.” Coach Jim Caldwell also tried to explain that the Browns have good players.

These are the things teams tell themselves to feel better. They are justifications that excuse their own shortcomings.

Now, the Lions face another trap game this week in Chicago. Like the Browns, the Bears are an opponent the Lions should dominate. But how much confidence does anyone have that the Lions can do that?

The Lions are going to go into the spin cycle again this week. What we won’t hear from coaches and players is the obvious. That Bears coach John Fox is on the brink of being fired. That the Bears are 3-6 and so hopeless that 5,624 fans skipped Sunday’s game at Soldier Field against their most-hated rival, the Green Bay Packers.

It was just as well. Those Bears fans didn’t have to sit around and watch Mitchell Trubisky get sacked five times. Or watch their run game rack up 55 yards in a 23-16 loss. Or watch the defense allow Brett Hundley, making the third start of his career, to post a 110.8 passer rating.

The Bears stink like a Bear doing his business in the woods. So, I’m going to do the Lions a favor and preemptively offer all the excuses they’re sure to offer this week for why the Bears are good. This way, the Lions don’t have to waste any energy coming up with dumb ideas. That’s why I’m here: dumb ideas. You’re welcome, Lions.

Excuse No. 1: Division games are always tough

That’s a myth perpetuated by the frequency of games in the division. Just because you play an opponent often and develop a certain amount of animosity toward them doesn’t mean the games are tough or that the opponents are good. The Bears, who are 0-3 against the NFC North, are going to play the nail to every division opponents’ hammer the rest of the season.
Excuse No. 2: The Bears have beaten good teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Carolina Panthers

If you want an instant headache, watch the crime against football otherwise known as the Bears’ 23-17 overtime win over Pittsburgh in September. If you want to watch someone turn in a winning lottery ticket, watch safety Eddie Jackson return two turnovers for 151 yards and touchdowns in a 17-3 win over Carolina.
Excuse No. 3: The Bears have a good defense

This one, I’m willing to give on. But just a little. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is the only thing saving the Bears’ bacon. The defense ranks ninth overall, 10th against the pass, 16th against the run and 13th in points allowed per game. They have good front-seven players in Akiem Hicks, Leonard Floyd, Nick Kwiatkoski and Pernell McPhee. But linebacker Danny Trevathan has been hurt and cornerback Kyle Fuller hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft status.
Excuse No. 4: Soldier Field is a tough place to play

Sure, when Mike Ditka was prowling the sidelines and Mike Singletary was playing linebacker. But Soldier Field is only a tough venue now because of the terrible condition of its grass, thanks to the Chicago Park District.
Excuse No. 5: John Fox is a veteran coach who has taken two teams to the Super Bowl

That’s true. It’s also true Fox is about to end his head coaching career after a three-year disaster that has made the Great Chicago Fire look like a mild flare-up by comparison. Fox and Caldwell threw two of the worst challenge flags on Sunday. I’d like to see a showdown between the coaches, who meet in the middle of the field at 20 paces to see who can initiate the dumber challenge.

There is no conceivable reason for the Lions to lose Sunday in Chicago. No reason at all. But that doesn’t mean the Lions won’t try to provide one.

TAMPA, Fla. — Three days after Buccaneers safety T.J. Ward said he was at his “wit’s end” over his role in the Bucs’ defense, the three-time Pro Bowler said he wishes he would have handled things differently, going to the coaching staff instead of airing his frustrations out publicly.

“I should have kept a lot of my thoughts to myself,” said Ward, 30. “I’ve been in this league [for a long time]. This is my eighth year. I’m a fiery person and I wear my emotions on my sleeve. This is all brand-new to me.”

After the Bucs’ 30-27 loss to the Buffalo Bills, a game that was lost in the final seconds, Ward said, “I came here to be an impact player. I can’t do that if I’m not out on the field. …. I did not come here to rotate.”

Coach Dirk Koetter and Ward had a discussion last Thursday about some of the things Koetter would like to see from Ward. Koetter also spoke to the team about coming to the coaching staff with concerns about roles and playing time.

“It’s a new situation, new team and I’m just trying to take it as it comes and handle it as it goes so I hope everyone works with me,” Ward said. “My teammates know it’s nothing malicious. My coaches know it’s nothing malicious. I’m just a competitive guy.”

Ward met with defensive coordinator Mike Smith following his comments Sunday. Neither Ward nor Smith would elaborate on what that conversation entailed. Smith said it’s his personal policy not to discuss private conversations he has with players.

“We have to make decisions each and every week,” Smith said. “I’ve said many times, ‘We don’t have 11 starters.’ There are different guys who are gonna play different roles. The amount of times guys are gonna play is gonna be based on how people are trying to attack us. That’s where we are at in terms of how we’re trying to defend people. Obviously, our job as coaches is to put the guys that give us the best opportunity to win out there, in our opinion. And that’s what we do.”

Ward has gone from playing the third-most snaps last year and in the past three seasons on a dominant Denver Broncos defense to serving in a rotational role with the Bucs. He was averaging just over 60 defensive snaps per game with the Broncos. Through four games with the Bucs, he is averaging 31.5.

“It’s something we’re working out within this defense and this team. We’ve just got to see how this boat is rowing and get it in direction,” said Ward, emphasizing that he still wants to be out there more.

“I said what I said,” Ward said. “The facts — do I want to be out there all the time? Yes. Those still remain. But there’s a complete other way to handle it. I should know better.”